If I have already booked a Princess cruise, can I purchase Future Cruise Deposits on an upcoming cruise, and apply these depo

[melk]

Booked cruise for November, 2024.

Upcoming cruise February, 2024.

 

Please advise

[chrysalis]

We have had no success in the past doing that.

[skynight]

Not really.

If after you purchase the FCDs you cancel the current Nov. 2024 booking and rebook yes, but you will already have a deposit in place. The only thing you would be losing is some OBC from $15 to $150 depending on the length of the cruise and the cabin category.

 

[wallyj]

3 hours ago, melk said:

Booked cruise for November, 2024.

Upcoming cruise February, 2024.

 

Please advise

A long time ago, Princess would allow ‘backdating’ of a FCD so it could be used. No more.

 

I believe the current rule is your FCD acquire date needs to be BEFORE your cruise booking date, so if you bought a FCD on your upcoming February 2024 sailing, you would not be able to use it on a cruise you ‘booked’ in 2023 or any cruise cruise booked before the date you acquired/bought the FCD.

 

You are able to apply a FCD to a booking that may already have deposit made by credit card. Example, my TA office is closed on the weekend but I want to grab a particular cabin, so I book using their online booking portal, but it does not have the ability to apply a FCD. I use credit card for deposit, then when TA office is open, I call and ask for a FCD to be added to booking and I receive the OBC associated with using the FCD. The FCD to be applied needs an acquire date earlier than my booking date. UK and outside US and Canada rules may be different.

 

Princess allows passengers currently on a sailing to purchase FCD’s for people NOT on the sailing. The passenger on board pays for the FCD and hopefully will be reimbursed by the person whom they are purchasing the FCD. Many passengers like to have one or more FCD’s in the bank, so they have one ready.

 

If you happen to know someone on a sailing willing to do this, this is a possible option in the future when you find you need a FCD and will not be sailing soon.

Edited August 23, 2023 by wallyj

[rosevew]

Yes you can. I was told this a short while ago, passed the message onto some friends about to join a ship and they have since had the OBC from FCD bought on that cruise applied to the next cruise. Obviously the cost of the FCD is then deducted from final payment, so presumably won't work if you've paid in full.

[cr8tiv1]

4 minutes ago, rosevew said:

Yes you can. I was told this a short while ago, passed the message onto some friends about to join a ship and they have since had the OBC from FCD bought on that cruise applied to the next cruise. Obviously the cost of the FCD is then deducted from final payment, so presumably won't work if you've paid in full.

 

Yes, you can....But you will not be given OBC for the FCD.  It will be considered as a $100 credit payment to your booking.  Defeats the purpose of using a FCD for OBC.

 

I am not crazy about the new expiration dates.  Must be used within 1 year of purchase date or will be refunded.  I have extended 2 and 4 year FCDs.  Not sure this new 1 year one can be extended.  Doesn't much matter to me.  I have many on the books and cruise at least once a year.

 

YES, you may purchase (or have someone purchase) FCDs on a cruise for someone else.  You need their Captain Circle Number.  It is treated very differently.  If you purchase one for yourself while on a cruise, it shows up almost instantaneously.  If you purchase it for someone else, there are channels by which it must go through.  You are charged right away, but it may not show up for weeks on their account.  Be sure to request a hard copy of the transaction that shows the transaction number.  

[rosevew]

15 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

Yes, you can....But you will not be given OBC for the FCD.  It will be considered as a $100 credit payment to your booking.  Defeats the purpose of using a FCD for OBC.

 

I am not crazy about the new expiration dates.  Must be used within 1 year of purchase date or will be refunded.  I have extended 2 and 4 year FCDs.  Not sure this new 1 year one can be extended.  Doesn't much matter to me.  I have many on the books and cruise at least once a year.

 

YES, you may purchase (or have someone purchase) FCDs on a cruise for someone else.  You need their Captain Circle Number.  It is treated very differently.  If you purchase one for yourself while on a cruise, it shows up almost instantaneously.  If you purchase it for someone else, there are channels by which it must go through.  You are charged right away, but it may not show up for weeks on their account.  Be sure to request a hard copy of the transaction that shows the transaction number.  

Sorry but you are wrong here. Friends have had it applied to upcoming cruise as OBC. Maybe it's different in the USA than UK.

[Steelers36]

23 minutes ago, rosevew said:

Sorry but you are wrong here. Friends have had it applied to upcoming cruise as OBC. Maybe it's different in the USA than UK.

What do you mean exactly?  Turning a FCD into OBC seems unusual, but confers no benefit.  Never heard of an existing booking that will already have a deposit paid by definition, getting a FCD applied and the guest also earning the associated OBC bonus.  FCD acquisition date is supposed to be no later than the date a booking is made.  If this is what you meant above, then was this in the UK?  Perhaps they got an exception case?  Anyway, best we can do is make sure posters here understand the way it is supposed to work according to policy and if something else happens one-off, they shouldn't count on being as lucky.

[rosevew]

36 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

What do you mean exactly?  Turning a FCD into OBC seems unusual, but confers no benefit.  Never heard of an existing booking that will already have a deposit paid by definition, getting a FCD applied and the guest also earning the associated OBC bonus.  FCD acquisition date is supposed to be no later than the date a booking is made.  If this is what you meant above, then was this in the UK?  Perhaps they got an exception case?  Anyway, best we can do is make sure posters here understand the way it is supposed to work according to policy and if something else happens one-off, they shouldn't count on being as lucky.

From the T&C on the website Future Cruise Deposits cannot be added to a booking after the booking has been paid in full. Hence, if not paid in full, it can be added. Definately not an exeception - I was told this by a Princess Cruises staff member.

Edited August 23, 2023 by rosevew
Extra comments

[Steelers36]

6 minutes ago, rosevew said:

From the T&C on the website Future Cruise Deposits cannot be added to a booking after the booking has been paid in full. Hence, if not paid in full, it can be added.

Okay, I see your point.  In most cases, folks like to use them as an initial deposit because $100 is normally lower than the required minimum cash deposit.  

 

[rosevew]

10 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

Okay, I see your point.  In most cases, folks like to use them as an initial deposit because $100 is normally lower than the required minimum cash deposit.  

 

Maybe they shouldn't do it but not going to argue! PLanning on getting some next month for our £1 deposit paid cruise next spring.

[voljeep]

7 minutes ago, rosevew said:

Maybe they shouldn't do it but not going to argue! PLanning on getting some next month for our £1 deposit paid cruise next spring.

why?

[rosevew]

1 hour ago, voljeep said:

why?

For the OBC, of course.

 

[voljeep]

3 hours ago, rosevew said:

For the OBC, of course.

 

for a future cruise - got it

[wallyj]

3 hours ago, rosevew said:

For the OBC, of course.

 

Sorry, but I have had a friend who was denied being able to apply a FCD to a booking not paid in full because the acquire date of the FCD was AFTER the booking date.

 

it is my understanding Princess no longer allows ‘backdating’ a FCD.

 

@Steelers36, did you read my post #4? I have posted about this a few times already. I have been able to add a FCD to a booking with a deposit already made by credit card. I do get the OBC associated with using said FCD.

 

@cr8tiv1, I have purchased FCD’s for friends not on board and the FCD’s show immediately as soon as the future cruise person charges my credit card. It has never taken weeks. Just did end of July 2023, and the FCD’s were in the friends accounts immediately.

 

 

[cr8tiv1]

57 minutes ago, wallyj said:

Sorry, but I have had a friend who was denied being able to apply a FCD to a booking not paid in full because the acquire date of the FCD was AFTER the booking date.

 

it is my understanding Princess no longer allows ‘backdating’ a FCD.

 

@cr8tiv1, I have purchased FCD’s for friends not on board and the FCD’s show immediately as soon as the future cruise person charges my credit card. It has never taken weeks. Just did end of July 2023, and the FCD’s were in the friends accounts immediately.

My card was charged immediately.  I was with the FCC in person.  I picked up the print out the next day.  My TA did not get notice and when she tried to book my sister, Princess could not see the FCDs.  Luckily, my TA had a photo of the print outs with the codes.  
 

I never checked with my sister to see if she received an email.  Longer story.  Funny though, I received emails for my cabin mate’s purchase.  That was in error.  No way should I have been sent her confirmations.  
 

Inly can speak to what happened to me.  Glad I could do it.  Glad to have the printouts.  It was eventually resolved.  All is good.

[wallyj]

@cr8tiv1, a similar story for my brother. He purchased a couple of FCD’s on board for himself earlier this year. When my sister called the agency they would use to book a cruise for November, the agent said they could not see a FCD for my brother. My sister sent me a message while I was on ship and I went to the future cruise desk and they were able to look up and gave me the future cruise certificate numbers, so it seems there is a ‘glitch’ sometimes when agents are trying to find FCD’s, but if you have the certificate number, no problem.

[startedwithamouse]

 

We've put a cruise on hold, then asked Live Chat to apply it the following day with no problem. 

 

These were Drop and Go cruises.  If you were to apply the FCD on the website, the full payment is required immediately. We needed to place a hold in order to secure airfare. at a fare to our liking, prior to paying in full for the cruise. 

[trbarton]

13 hours ago, melk said:

Booked cruise for November, 2024.

Upcoming cruise February, 2024.

 

Please advise

I've never heard of anyone applying a FCD to an already booked cruise.

 

The FCD is used as your deposit so I'm not sure what you think that you would gain.  Can you explain you reason for wanting to do this?

 

Tom

[wallyj]

10 minutes ago, trbarton said:

I've never heard of anyone applying a FCD to an already booked cruise.

 

The FCD is used as your deposit so I'm not sure what you think that you would gain.  Can you explain you reason for wanting to do this?

 

Tom

See post #13, when u apply a FCD, Princess will give you OBC, based on the length and cabin category booked. Usually, a passenger will use a FCD as the initial low deposit, but there are circumstances when that is not possible.